Education

August 20, 2013

Emily Yam inspects an incubator that has been sitting at the base of a hydrothermal vent chimney for two years, looking at the microbial colonization tubes on the neck of the funnel.The Aquarium’s Science Interpretation Coordinator Emily Yam is currently aboard the Research Vessel Thomas G. Thompson supporting the science mission of the ship. Yam has been part of operations aboard ship, logging data and helping with outreach and education. The RV Thompson is owned by the Office of Naval Research and is operated by the University of Washington’s School of Oceanography.

The Thompson’s crew is currently studying waters of the Northeast Pacific Ocean and is working to set up a cabled ocean observation array. Wired to shore-based laboratories, this array will allow scientists to make observations that stretch far beyond the length of time a vessel can be at sea. These types of long-term observations will give a more complete picture of ocean systems, helping to create predictive models of ocean processes.

Yam has been aboard the ship for most of the month of August. She has made occasional live presentations via telepresence, interacting with Aquarium visitors, at the Ocean Exploration Hub. You can follow Yam on Twitter @Explorationem or view live feeds from the Thompson at http://www.interactiveoceans.washington.edu/story/Live. An interactive map and log of the expedition can be seen here.